End of the End

Released
9 August 2016

For years after the Cull, we strove – we rose up against the slavers and exploiters, we fought back the crazies, we broke the soil again and farmed like our ancestors. Could it ever be enough? With history broken, the old orders and certainties have lost their hold. But the bad and the cruel will always seek to rise, and disaster is always one mistake away. Chaos wants to return.

Journal of the Plague Year brought you three tales from the first days of the Cull; now End of the End revisits old friends from School’s Out Forever, Hooded Man, The Culled and Kill or Cure, years after the adventures you know, as they still struggle to shout their defiance against the growing darkness.

Collects the novellas Fall Out, Children of the Cull and Flaming Arrow, along with an introduction by the editor and bonus short story “A Dream of Sherwood.”

Children of the Cull

Released
9 August 2016

He’s an old soldier, of a sort – be polite and say he ‘solved problems’ for his government. She’s a doctor, a scientist specialising in rare diseases. They met once, fell in love, got ready to settle down... until the Cull came and tore them apart.

They’ve hunted each other across the ravaged, ruined world, leaving bloodshed and destruction in both their wakes. Finally, tonight, in an old Army research post in the middle of nowhere, they’ll be reunited.

With any luck, it’ll live up to the promise.

Children of the Cull continues the stories of Simon Spurrier’s The Culled and Rebecca Levene’s Kill or Cure.

The Rebellion Advent Calendar: Day Nineteen

1 year ago- posted by Rob Power

Six days to Christmas and Mrs Claus has pulled off her masterstroke. All around the Claus compound there are sleeping elves. Santa has been in bed for thirteen hours straight. Nothing is stirring, not even a mouse. It’s amazing what can be achieved with a little sleeping powder-laced sherry.

She creeps to the gate and peeks out. She sees the devastation the Santa War has wrought on the North Pole for the first time. No Elf’s Land is a mess of spent streamers, broken candy canes and unexploded baubles.

She blinks back the tears. Her resolve stiffens.

‘Rudolf,’ she says. ‘I must find Rudolf.’

She pulls up her voluminous red scarf and heads out into No Elf’s Land. Behind her, only the snoring of Claus the Sleepy can be heard, rumbling across the compound...

*

With Christmas so close, what better way to celebrate than with a huge sale on all Afterblight Chronicles eBooks? Yes, these tales of humanity’s post-apocalyptic future are now only 99p, so head on over to Amazon and grab yourself some stories of a grim future – just the ticket for the forthcoming holidays...

Fall Out

Released
21 November 2015

Jack Bedford may be the rightful King of Britain, but he’s going to have to work for it. In the years since the Cull wiped out most of the human race, the beleaguered island has survived invasions, murderous cults and civil wars.

Now, the dozens of tribes and communities who have gradually formed out of the chaos, painfully rebuilding in the aftermath, stand on their own; uniting them will be an uphill battle.

A fresh disaster may give him the chance to prove his leadership. Heysham power plant, in Lancashire, has suffered a catastrophic meltdown, the aging safety mechanisms failing after years of neglect. Hundred have been killed or fatally poisoned.

An emergency council is called. There are nine more plants in the UK; how many are close to failure? What must be done to make them safe? Can the emerging leaders of Britain set aside their differences to deal with the threat?

Flaming Arrow

Released
7 May 2015

More than a decade after claiming Nottingham Castle and founding his Rangers, Rob Stokes – the Hooded Man – has seen off Britain’s would-be conquerors, thrown his support behind the newly-restored Crown, and extended his peacekeeping force onto the Continent. He’s getting old, getting ready to hand over to his adopted son, Mark, feeling like retiring.

Trouble is brewing in the newly peaceful Britain. King Jack’s soldiers go armed with guns and armoured vehicles, even as Stokes’ Rangers disarm the people. A resistance movement is rising, led by the charismatic Virgil Sorin. Amidst the rioting, shots are fired. A fire is about to start...

Journal of the Plague Year

Released
3 July 2014

The world ended when The Cull swept through civilisation, killing billions and sparing only those fortunate few blessed with the right blood. But in times of need heroes must rise.

Here three fantastic authors lead us into the apocalypse in the latest omnibus in the hit Afterblight Chronicles series.

In Malcolm Cross’ Orbital Decay astronaut Alvin Burrows watches helplessly as the world collapses and the crew on board the Space Station are slowly and gruesomely murdered, one by one. Exiled from Earth by his bloodtype, can he use his position to solve the mystery of the “Pandora” experiment in time?

In C.B Harvey’s Dead Kelly fugitive Kelly McGuire returns to the lawless city of Melbourne to bring vengeance down upon his old gangmates. McGuire has three jobs to do: be revenged, confront the uncomfortable truths of his past and face the discovery of his own terrible destiny.

In Adrian Tchailovsky’s The Bloody Deluge biochemist Katy Lewkowitz and colleague Dr Emil Weber flee the brutal cult of ‘The New Teutonic Order’ who are set on purging “undesirables;” as they take refuge within the walls of the Jasna Góra monastery a battle of faith ensues that could decide the future of humankind.

Journal of the Plague Year is comprised of three unique novellas: Orbital Decay , Dead Kelly and the previously unpublished The Bloody Deluge.

Comissioning Editor David Moore on the collection:“This has been a true labour of love for me; Afterblight is one of my favourite Abaddon worlds, and it’s been great helping uncover new corners of the world and introduce new readers to the series. And I’ve been lucky in my authors; Colin, Malcolm and Adrian are all hugely talented.”

The Bloody Deluge

Released
3 June 2014

A year ago, civilisation died, drowning and choking on its own blood in the brutal scourge of the Cull.

Eking out a living on the newly primitive land, British-born biochemist Katy Lewkowitz finds a new life as a doctor among the small communities springing up in Eastern Germany... until a terrible new cult, calling itself the 'New Teutonic Order,' begins purging all 'undesirables.'

Katy and her friend and old tutor Dr. Emil Weber, fleeing the depredations of the fanatical Order, escape into Poland, eventually taking refuge among the strangely anachronistic survivors at the monastery of Jasna Góra.

A battle of faith ensues, that could decide the future of humankind...

Dead Kelly

Released
28 February 2014

Just before the Cull, Kelly McGuire and his gang staged a spectacular raid, to seize a load of gold bullion from an airplane on the runway, armed only with guts, guns, motorcycles and a bulldozer.

But the deal went sour when one of Kelly’s mates tipped off the cops, and the gang was ambushed. McGuire barely got away with his life, running into the Bush beyond Melbourne’s sprawling suburbs.

Six months is a long time to hide out. Long enough for the world to end, for one thing. But now “Dead” Kelly—as the press was calling him towards the end, when the police reported they’d found his body—is back, and he’s gunning for some payback.

A chance discovery gives him the perfect get-up, courtesy of another outlaw Kelly, and he’s set to figure out which one of his mates done him over. If he has to kill every one of the bastards to get there.

Orbital Decay

Released
31 December 2013

Before the Blight had a name – before the world died – there was a chance to stop the AB-Virus in its tracks. It almost worked.

Astronaut Alvin Burrows holds the key: a literal Pandora’s box full of infected lab mice. But time is running out, and even orbit isn’t far enough to escape the pandemic. Burrows’ and his crewmates’ families are caught in quarantines on the ground, the death toll is rising, and maddened gangs are beginning their rampage.

The International Space Station is a world all its own, two hundred and sixty miles above the Earth, circling the globe every ninety-two minutes, fifty-four seconds; a fragile metal shell in which six men and women are trapped in close confines for months at a time.

And something more sinister than the plague is loose on Station. Something driving one of the astronauts to murder the crew, one by one...

Hooded Man

Released
11 June 2013

When civilisation shuddered and died, Robert Stokes lost everything, including his wife and his son. The ex-cop retreated into the woods near Nottingham, to live off the land and wait to join his family. As the world descended into a new Dark Age, he turned his back on it all.

The foreign mercenary and arms dealer De Falaise sees England is ripe for conquest. He works his way up the country, forging an army and pillaging as he goes. When De Falaise arrives at Nottingham and sets up his new dominion, Robert is drawn reluctantly into the resistance. From Sherwood he leads the fight and takes on the mantle of the world’s greatest folk hero.

The Hooded Man and his allies will become a symbol of freedom, a shining light in the horror of a blighted world, but he can never rest: De Falaise is only the first of his kind.

This omnibus collects the novels Arrowhead, Broken Arrow and Arrowland, with a new introduction by editor Jonathan Oliver. The ebook edition also exclusively collects the stories ‘Servitor,’ ‘Perfect Presents,’ and ‘Signs and Portents.’

The New Pulp

Released
3 February 2013

Or so we're told. Those dusty, cheaply printed paperbacks you knew and loved of old have lost their relevance. People don't want fast-paced adventure! They want dreary ten-volume collections of thousand-page tomes recounting the lives of the introspective and self-doubting.

And yet a quick glance at the shelves today shows the spirit of action and heroism is alive and well in the modern imagination.

Abaddon presents three of their best stories of derring-do, relentless violence and sheer pluck. In Simon Spurrier's The Culled, a special ops soldier murders his way across a post-apocalyptic continent to find the one he loves.

In Al Ewing's El Sombra, a maddened poet, left for dead in the desert, returns as a laughing angel of vengeance to destroy the Ultimate Reich.

And in Pat Kelleher's Black Hand Gang, a "pal's batallion" of WWI Tommies is plucked from the Somme and dropped in a world of ghastly aliens and sudden death.

School's Out Forever

Released
8 September 2012

Lee Keegan’s fifteen. If most of the population of the world hadn’t just died choking on their own blood, he might be worrying about acne, body odour and girls.

As it is, he and the young Matron of his boarding school, Jane Crowther, have to try and protect their charges from cannibalistic gangs, religious fanatics, a bullying prefect experimenting with crucifi xion, and even the might of the US Army.

Welcome to St. Mark’s School for Boys and Girls...

School’s Out Forever collects School’s Out, Operation Motherland and Children’s Crusade, with the short story The Man Who Would Not Be King, an introduction by the editor, interviews, and new, previously unpublished material.

Blood Ocean

Released
14 February 2012

Kavika Kamalani is a Pali Boy, a post-plague heir to an ancient Hawai’ian warrior tradition that believes in overcoming death by embracing one’s fears and living large.

His life on the Nomi No Toshi, the floating city, is turned upside down when one of his friends dies, harvested for his blood, and he sets out to find the killer. Kidnapped himself and subjected to a terrifying transformation, Kavika must embrace the ultimate fear – death itself – if he, his loved ones, and the Pali Boys themselves are to survive.

Afterblight: America

Released
14 June 2011

It swept across the world like the end of times, a killer virus that spared only those with one rare blood type. Now, in the ruined cities, cannibalism and casual murder are the rule, and religious fervour vies with cynical self-interest. The few who hope to make a difference, to rise above the monsters, must sometimes become monsters themselves.

THE CULLED: Even before the plague, he was a weapon, cold and brutal; and the Cull took away his one shot at regaining his humanity. Now, deep in the squalor of London, he receives a signal, and a flicker of hope. But the source of the signal is half a world away, and he must fight gangs, collectors, and the powerful Church of the New Dawn to get there.

KILL OR CURE: Spending five years locked in a secret bunker, with only the dead for company, is enough to drive anyone mad. But Jasmine’s crazier than most; she survived the Cull, but the Cure’s worse, leaving her with a Voice that whispers at her to do terrible things. Rescued by the rulers of the New Caribbean, she is sent to investigate a second plague.

DEATH GOT NO MERCY: Cade didn’t exactly care about people, but if someone he almost cared about was in trouble, he’d help if he could. If that meant taking on religious maniacs, suited cannibals and hippies who dealt out free love and fast death... well, I’m kind of runnin’ my mouth here. This ain’t a peaceful story, and Cade... Cade wasn’t a peaceful man.

Arrowland

Released
16 September 2010

Robert, the Hooded Man, leads the Rangers, who keep the peace in the ravaged wasteland of Britain, foiling the ambitions of the warlords and petty tyrants who would take the country for themselves. Even the spirits of his beloved Sherwood Forest aid him, sending him dreams to guide his path.

But now Robert’s dreams are threatening and strange – a dragon rising over Wales, a spider crouching over Edinburgh – and new foes are rising against him in his own homeland.

Overseas, the Russian Tsar is readying himself for a second confrontation with Britain’s protector, even as an army is converging at the Reichstag in Berlin. A confrontation is coming that may decide the future of the nation...

7 years ago- posted by Rob Power

Children's Crusade

Released
19 May 2010

The orphaned children of post-Cull Britain have always been easy prey for gangs, cults and killers. But now something has changed.

Organised teams are roaming the country, taking children from their homes and villages, spiriting them away into the night. Jane Crowther is willing to risk everything to rescue them, but to save the children, Jane must confront the woman she used to be, and the man who killed her.

This is the third and final year of St Mark's school for Boys and Girls. But it's not going down without a fight!

Broken Arrow

Released
15 November 2009

More than a year has passed since Robert Stokes defeated De Falaise, the self-styled Sheriff of Nottingham.

In that time, The Hooded Man has been training a new force to police the area: The Sherwood Rangers. But cracks are beginning to appear in this fledgling system - the men are overstretched and a new threat has appeared in the shape of a dangerous Satanic cult.

Meanwhile, an old enemy has persuaded 'The Tsar', the Emperor-like ruler of Russia, to move against Robert. Soon The Tsar's armies are landing on these shores, determined to wipe out The Hooded Man and his band for good. But there are also more personal aspects at stake: Robert and Mary's relationship, for one, placed under threat by a beautiful newcomer - as Robert himself struggles with his living legend status.

Can The Hooded Man and his friends survive all of this, or will everything be broken for good?

Death Got No Mercy

Released
15 September 2009

This ain't a complicated story, but then Cade wasn't a complicated man.

He didn't exactly care about people, did Cade, but if one of the people he almost cared about was in trouble, he'd help out if he could. If that meant heading down to San Francisco - even though nobody ever came back from there alive - well, fine.

If that meant taking on whole armies of religious maniacs, coupon-clipping cannibals and helter-skelter hippies who dealt out free love and fast death in equal measure, armed with nothing but his two fists and a decent hunting knife... well, I'm kind of runnin' my mouth here.

This ain't a peaceful story, is what I'm tryin' to say. And Cade... Cade wasn't a peaceful man.